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Definition:
Animism is perhaps one of humanity's oldest beliefs, with its origin probably dating
back to the Paleolithic age. The term animism derives from the Latin word anima
meaning breath or soul. Animism is the belief that everything in nature - including
lliving things such as trees or other plants, and even nonliving rocks or streams - has its own
soul, spirit or divinity. Thus an inanimate object is not simply a collection of atoms
any more than we are. Instead it, like we, has an awareness of its surroundings and
can even affect those surroundings.
Very strictly speaking, animism only refers to belief in personal spirits and powers which exist in nature. However, it is often also used to cover the concept of animatism, which is the belief that life and feeling exist everywhere, both in biological organisms and in the physical environment.
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What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.
